On the 23rd of May, 2010 Werner and I visited the Redlands Christian Reformed Church. At around 9:00 am, once the 200 strong groups of church-goers fell silent, a band of all men was welcomed to the stage to begin the service. They led the church in Praise and Worship before the Senior Pastor formally started the sermon. He began by sharing news about what had affected and happened in the Church that week. The children were sent away to a Kids Club, and then the Pastor began to preach. Many prayers were said throughout the word, and once the Pastor had finished his preach the band again was welcomed back to the stage and the children were ushered back to the main assembly. Once again the all male band played some more songs and the service was closed. Drinks and nibbles were provided after the service to encourage socializing, however Werner and I then left.
First appearing in Europe at around the early 1500’s, the Reformed Church was recorded in the wake of the protestant movement. A French man named John Calvin was said to be the man who first started the Reformed Church, and to this day he is largely credited for starting the Calvinistic based churches in Europe. The reasons for John to create such a church, was because he believed that the current Catholic system, was corrupt and unholy. Then following the Protestant reformation, he broke apart from the main church and formed many different denominations from Protestantism which include Calvinism and the Reformed Church. The Reformed Churches of Australia were formed in 1952 in aide with the very few that were already setup. At current times, there are around 45 Reformed Churches of Australia to help and bring people closer to god.
The beliefs of different Reformed Churches across Australia, and in turn around the world can differ slightly from church to church. However there is a general set of core beliefs which all people of the Reformed Church must believe. They first must call themselves Christians, and in turn this means that they believe that Jesus in the Son of God and all creation is based around him. They also must believe that they are part of the Church because God called them together as people, to follow him and then in turn live with him. As well as these beliefs it is generally accepted that you must believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and it contains everything that any individual must know to gain salvation. From here on in it can be blurry and often confusing as to what each individual Church requires their members to believe. However as long as you follow these core beliefs, and live like Jesus did as much as possible, the rest of the individual’s beliefs can differ from ethical backgrounds etc.
The Christian Reformed Churches of Australia operate on three levels. The bottom most layer, is called the local congregation. This congregation is made of an elected Church council. While attending the service, the Church that Werner and I visited was currently electing their council. Slips of paper were sent around the audience to all of the members, and they had a choice to vote on who should be on the Church council. This Church council is the principle authority in the Churches, however submits itself to the wider assemblies on decisions that affect the Church as a whole. The second layer is called the Classis. This is the meeting in which all Reformed Churches in a particular region send two elders and their minister to discuss current Church events in the area. This occurs every 3 months and is considered an important addition to running the Church. The Synod is the last level in which all churches in the country meet up and discuss what can be made to improve the Church at the current time. All three levels of governance are important within the Reformed Church and each one can directly affect the individual within the Church. (Redlands Christian Reformed Church, 2010)
The main reason for attending the service at Redlands Reformed Church was to listen to the word of God and how to then in turn, improve your life and help you get salvation. This became evident when the Senior Pastor began his preach. Throughout the Preach, he constantly related the Bible to the common Church- goer’s life. This was done so that they could gain advice and help, if they were ever put in the similar situation as that of the one in the Bible. As well as this, the Senior Pastor talked for a while about current Church events, to further encourage you to become closer to the Church. As well as this music was a big part of the Church service, which in turn was sung to help you come closer to God.
The music which occurred at the beginning and end of the service was best suited for middle aged adults. The band was made up of a couple of guitar players, some singers and a pianist. The music which was played was not hymns or particularly soft, however it was not loud and rock-like either. It in fact was in the middle, providing a good balance between the traditional hymns and the modern charismatic style music. Keeping the music soft to a degree is believed to keep show respect towards God. This louder touch is used to interest members and combined with the respect is considered by the Reformed Church to be the perfect Praise and Worship music.
Starting on a bright Sunday morning and finishing just before midday, my experience with the reformed Church was very positive. The members of the Church were welcoming, and the atmosphere was very laid back yet still respectful. The Church had members and followers of all ages and kept them captivated throughout the whole service. Overall, it was a great experience to discover and experience different ways in which people worship the same God.
First appearing in Europe at around the early 1500’s, the Reformed Church was recorded in the wake of the protestant movement. A French man named John Calvin was said to be the man who first started the Reformed Church, and to this day he is largely credited for starting the Calvinistic based churches in Europe. The reasons for John to create such a church, was because he believed that the current Catholic system, was corrupt and unholy. Then following the Protestant reformation, he broke apart from the main church and formed many different denominations from Protestantism which include Calvinism and the Reformed Church. The Reformed Churches of Australia were formed in 1952 in aide with the very few that were already setup. At current times, there are around 45 Reformed Churches of Australia to help and bring people closer to god.
The beliefs of different Reformed Churches across Australia, and in turn around the world can differ slightly from church to church. However there is a general set of core beliefs which all people of the Reformed Church must believe. They first must call themselves Christians, and in turn this means that they believe that Jesus in the Son of God and all creation is based around him. They also must believe that they are part of the Church because God called them together as people, to follow him and then in turn live with him. As well as these beliefs it is generally accepted that you must believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and it contains everything that any individual must know to gain salvation. From here on in it can be blurry and often confusing as to what each individual Church requires their members to believe. However as long as you follow these core beliefs, and live like Jesus did as much as possible, the rest of the individual’s beliefs can differ from ethical backgrounds etc.
The Christian Reformed Churches of Australia operate on three levels. The bottom most layer, is called the local congregation. This congregation is made of an elected Church council. While attending the service, the Church that Werner and I visited was currently electing their council. Slips of paper were sent around the audience to all of the members, and they had a choice to vote on who should be on the Church council. This Church council is the principle authority in the Churches, however submits itself to the wider assemblies on decisions that affect the Church as a whole. The second layer is called the Classis. This is the meeting in which all Reformed Churches in a particular region send two elders and their minister to discuss current Church events in the area. This occurs every 3 months and is considered an important addition to running the Church. The Synod is the last level in which all churches in the country meet up and discuss what can be made to improve the Church at the current time. All three levels of governance are important within the Reformed Church and each one can directly affect the individual within the Church. (Redlands Christian Reformed Church, 2010)
The main reason for attending the service at Redlands Reformed Church was to listen to the word of God and how to then in turn, improve your life and help you get salvation. This became evident when the Senior Pastor began his preach. Throughout the Preach, he constantly related the Bible to the common Church- goer’s life. This was done so that they could gain advice and help, if they were ever put in the similar situation as that of the one in the Bible. As well as this, the Senior Pastor talked for a while about current Church events, to further encourage you to become closer to the Church. As well as this music was a big part of the Church service, which in turn was sung to help you come closer to God.
The music which occurred at the beginning and end of the service was best suited for middle aged adults. The band was made up of a couple of guitar players, some singers and a pianist. The music which was played was not hymns or particularly soft, however it was not loud and rock-like either. It in fact was in the middle, providing a good balance between the traditional hymns and the modern charismatic style music. Keeping the music soft to a degree is believed to keep show respect towards God. This louder touch is used to interest members and combined with the respect is considered by the Reformed Church to be the perfect Praise and Worship music.
Starting on a bright Sunday morning and finishing just before midday, my experience with the reformed Church was very positive. The members of the Church were welcoming, and the atmosphere was very laid back yet still respectful. The Church had members and followers of all ages and kept them captivated throughout the whole service. Overall, it was a great experience to discover and experience different ways in which people worship the same God.
Bibliography
Redlands Christian Reformed Church. (2010). Denomination. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from Christian Reformed Church: http://www.redlandscrc.org.au/denomination
Redlands Christian Reformed Church. (2010). Denomination. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from Christian Reformed Church: http://www.redlandscrc.org.au/denomination
No comments:
Post a Comment